Post hole digger



.July 19, 1932. s. E. STOOP POST HOLE DIGGER Filed April '7. 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Invenlor fig I flllqmey July 19, 1932. s. E. s'rooP POST HOLE DIGGER Filed A ril'v, .1931

3 Sheets-Sheet s tlorney Patented July 19, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE rosr HOLE BIGGER Application filed April 7,

The present invention relates to a post hole digger and has for its prime object to provide a mechanism of this nature in the form of an attachment for a tractor.

. Another very important object of the invention resides in the provision of a mechanism of this nature which is simple in its construction, inexpensive to manufacture and install, thoroughly eflicient and reliable in use and operation, and otherwise well adapted to the purpose for which it is designed. With the above and numerous other ob- Jects in view 'as will appear asthe descrip- 15 tion proceeds, the invention resides in certain novel features of construction, and in the combination and arrangement of arts as will be hereinafter more fully deseri ed and claimed.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of the mechanism embodying the features of my invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevation thereof.

Figure 3 is an enlargeddetail section taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a horizontal section taken substantially on the line 44 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a plan view of a guard. Figure 6 is a bottom plan view of the digging elements, and

Figure 7 is a detail sectional view taken substantially on the line 7-7 of Figure 4.

Referring to the dra-wings in detail it will 35 be seen that numeral 5 denotes anelongated upright member or casting terminating at its upper end in an offset vertical hollow portion 7 in which is an internally threaded sleeve 6 held in place by a set screw 8 or the like. A protrusion 9 from an intermediate portion of the member 5 is bolted or otherwise secured as at 10 to a well known form of tractor. On the bottom end of the memher 5 is formed a plate 11. Said well known form of tractor is provided with a removable plate on the side of-its gear housing for which I substitute a plate 12 bolted in place as at 14 and formed with an elongated bearing 15 projecting to both sides thereof and at its 50 outer end terminating in a gear box 16 bolted 1931. Serial No. 528,399.

to the plate 11 as at 17. A shaft 18 is-rotatable in the bearing 15 andhas a pinion 19 meshing with the gear of said. tractor. A clutch segment 20 is splined on the shaft 18 to cooperate with a clutch segment 21 rotatable on the shaft having formed thereon a pinion 22 meshing with a gear 23. This gear 23 is splined on a shaft 24 rotatable and slidable through a bearing 25 formed in the gear ternally threaded in the sleeve 6. A wheel 40 has its hub secured on the upper end of the sleeve 6 by the set screw 8 and by turning the wheel 40 the sleeve 6 is turned to raise or lower the shaft 36 and the shaft 24. The casing 32 and the shaft 36 are prevented from groove on the outer face of the member 5 as is indicated at 42.

A digging element is formed on the lower end of the shaft 24 and consists of a bit 43 with a disk 44 formed on the upper portion thereof and having a blade portion 45 struck downwardlytherefrom. Numeral 46 denotes -rotation by a lug 41 which slides in a vertical a circular hood held in place by suitable,

braces 47 and 48, the lower ends of which are received in loops 49 formed on the hood 46 and held therein by set screws 50 so that this hood may be adjusted vertically.

Hood 46 is provided with a transverse scraper blade 46 for scraping the bladed disk 44 when the latter is drawn into the hood and rotated relative to the hood.

'It is thought-that the construction, utility and advantages of this invention will now be quite apparent to those skilled in this art without a more detailed description thereof.

The present embodiment of the inventlon has been described in considerable detail merely for the purposes of exempllficatlon since 111 actual practice it attains the features of advantage enumerated as desirable in the statement of the invention and the above description.

It will be apparent. that changes in the details of construction, and in the combination and arrangement of parts may be re sorted to without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed or sacrificing any of its advantages.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is: v

1. In combination with an apertured gear housing of a farm tractor, a bearing having an inner end extending into the housing through the aperture therein, a vertical member adjacent the outer end of the bearing and secured above the bearing to a fixed part of the tractor, a hood suspendedv from thebearing, a drilling devi-ce movable vertically through the hood, an adjusting screw swivelly connected With the drilling device and an internally threaded sleeve fixed on the vertical member and with which said screw is threadedly engaged, and means mounted in the bearing to provide a drive connection between the gears in said housing and said drilling device.

2. A post hole digger attachment for tractors comprising a bearing provided at one end with a gear case, an upright rising from said gear case and provided with a fixed vertical sleeve, a vertical shaft slidably and rotatably mounted at said end of the bearing and extending through said gear case, an

adjusting screw extending through the sleeve I and threadedly engaged. therewith, means swivelly connecting the screw and shaft, a driven shaft journalled in thebearing, clutch means including gearing arranged in said, gear case connecting said shafts and a drilling device on the lower end of the vertical shaft.

3. In a post hole digger device, a bearing provided at one end with a gear casing, a

shaft journaled in the bearing, a slidable and rotatable shaft extending through the gear casing at substantially right angles to the first-named shaft, gearings in the gear cas- 1ng-connecting said shafts, a screwalined' with the second-named-shaft, means for feedmg it and supporting the screw, means swivelly connecting the screw with said secondnamed shaft, and a drilling device on the free end of the second-named shaft.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

SAMUEL E. s'roor. 

